INFLUENCE OF DIETARY CARBOHYDRATES ON CHOLESTEROL-METABOLISM IN CASEIN-FED RABBITS

Dietary carbohydrates consisting of cornstarch and dextrose, as well as molasses-enriched dextrose, were fed to rabbits in a high fat, cholesterol-free casein purified diet in order to evaluate their influence on food intake, and more specifically on the magnitude of the cholesterol response to casein feeding. Food intake and weight gain were similar in all groups, regardless of carbohydrate origin. The non-significant trend in serum cholesterol elevation in the molasses + dextrose group was however translated by a significant increase in its LDL-cholesterol, compared to the cornstarch and dextrose groups. Moreover, the significant increase in HDL-C and 4.3-fold decrease in the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio induced by cornstarch, in comparison to the dextrose and dextrose + molasses groups, suggests that the atherosclerosis risk associated to casein intake may be attenuated by the use of cornstarch. In addition, significantly higher liver cholesterol and TG levels following molasses + dextrose feeding, compared to dextrose and cornstarch, suggests that molasses enhances the effects of casein on serum cholesterol by a series of reactions originating from an increase in this group's hepatic lipids.